Non-native English speakers who wish to use their native language to meet the B.A.
foreign language requirement.

He/she should take the placement test in that language, offered through the MTSU Foreign
Language Department.

If the student shows proficiency through the 2020 level of the language, he/she should
submit the test score to his/her advisor. The advisor will e-mail the Dean of the
College of Liberal Arts, requesting a waiver of the foreign language requirement.
The student will not receive any credit hours for foreign language.

For a student who is proficient in a language other than the ones listed above:

The student should contact Judy Albakry (898-5089) or Lucy Langworthy (494-7785) for
approval of other resources for verifying competency. In most cases the student will
be referred to a faculty member who is fluent in the language and who is willing to
conduct a competency interview. When there is no faculty member available, the student
may contact the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute - 615-741-7579, and, for a fee,
set up an interview.

The student should meet with the faculty member or institute representative for competency
verification. The interview should be at least a 30-minute conversation in the language
for which the student is seeking competency.

If competency is approved, the faculty member or Tennessee Foreign Language Institute
representative should e-mail the Dean of Liberal Arts, confirming that the student
is proficient in the language at a level equivalent to two years of college-level
coursework.

If approved, the Dean of Liberal Arts contacts the Liberal Arts Graduation Coordinator
to enter the waiver in the student's degree evaluation. The student will not receive
any credit hours for foreign language.

Students who take the foreign language placement test at MTSU

If the student places out of a course or courses in the foreign language series, he/she
may enroll in the next class in the series.

After completing the class with a grade of C- or better, the student must contact
the secretary of the Foreign Language Department to report successful completion of
the class.

The secretary of the Foreign Language Department contacts Admissions to enter credit
for the classes that preceded the completed class in the foreign language series.

Students who took a foreign language placement test at another institution.

If the student placed out of some courses in a foreign language but did not take any
foreign language courses at the other institution, he/she should take the placement
test at MTSU and follow the procedures listed on the previous page for students who
take the placement test at MTSU. This will allow the student to receive credit for
the courses from which he/she is exempt.

If the student placed out of some courses in a foreign language and began the foreign
language sequence at the other institution but has not completed it, he/she will take
the next course in the sequence at MTSU. If credit was not awarded at the other institution
for the exempt classes, the student will not receive credit hours for them through
MTSU. In the case of a major or minor in the language, the student will be deficient
these hours. In these cases, the student will need to take an additional class or
classes to complete the hours required of their major or minor. If the student wishes
to fulfill the language requirement for the B.A. degree, he/she must have credit for
the 2010 and 2020 of the language, but does not have to have the credit posted on
the transcript for 1010 and 1020.

Students whose high school language requirement was waived because they were fluent
in another language.

NOTE: These students will have high school deficiencies at MTSU because they do not
have the 2 units of a foreign language required of high school graduates. The normal
requirement to fulfill this deficiency is 1010 and 1020 of a language. Instead of
taking 1010 and 1020, these students may follow the steps below.

The student must prove proficiency in the second language by taking the MTSU placement
test or by completing an oral interview with an MTSU faculty member fluent in that
language, in the cases where no placement test is offered.

The student must successfully complete English 1010 and 1020.

Once English 1020 is successfully completed, the advisor sends a memo to Dean of College
of Liberal Arts for approval to waive Foreign Language 1010 and 1020 based on the
student's proven proficiency in his/her native language and the second language, English.

If approved, the Dean of Liberal Arts contacts Admissions to have the high school
deficiency removed from the student's record.

Students who wish to get foreign language credit through study abroad classes

Prior to studying abroad, the student must have his/her advisor approve the classes
to be taken in the study abroad program. For the student to use the course(s) to fulfill
a language requirement, the course(s) must be taught in the foreign language for which
the student is seeking credit.

After returning from studying abroad, the student must submit a description or syllabus
of the class to the Chair of the Foreign Language Department, in order to receive
foreign language credit for the class(es).

If the class is approved, the chair will send an e-mail to the Dean of the College
of Liberal Arts, requesting approval to allow the student to use the appropriate number
of hours toward the Bachelor of Arts language requirement, foreign language major,
or minor.

Alumni Spotlights

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